>>REVIEW
THE LAST KISS
STARRING Zack Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Rachel Bilson, Blythe Danner, Tom Wilkinson
DIRECTED BY Tony Goldwyn
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Those approaching their mid-to-late 20s, or those on the cusp of turning 30, are a generation raised on the belief that they can do it all and have it all in tandem with the perfect relationship. At what point do you either make the changes necessary to reach that higher level of happiness, or pack it in and lovingly accept the path your life has taken? And, is this have-it-all mentality even realistic? The Last Kiss, from Million Dollar Baby and Crash screenwriter Paul Haggis, explores what happens when people reach this not quite quarter life, not quite midlife crisis. Or, what Haggis refers to as those moments when life kicks you in the ass.
Garden State’s Zack Braff plays Michael, an architect who has just found out he’s having a baby with his girlfriend, Jenna (Jacinda Barrett). Still very much in love with her, he nevertheless feels that his entire life past this point is mapped out, predictable and void of any further surprises. Void of any surprises, that is, until he meets the hot and hot-for-him college junior, Kim (Rachel Bilson), at a wedding. Enter moral dilemma.
What’s refreshing about The Last Kiss is that the screenplay includes very few lines only paid actors would be caught dead uttering. Although some of the scenes are uncomfortably dramatic, there’s little "You complete me" garbage in The Last Kiss.
The Michael/Jenna/Kim situation is not enough to carry this movie. Acutely aware of this problem, Haggis has interspersed the story with intriguing supporting storylines that float in the periphery. As Jenna’s parents, Anna and Stephen (Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson) provide two of the movie’s best performances. Whatever it is that makes a 30-year marriage work, Anna and Stephen lost a long time ago. As Michael and Jenna’s relationship is unravelling, so too is Anna and Stephen’s, providing an added layer of context to both relationships.
At times, The Last Kiss feels disjointed, as though dealing with its own identity crisis – it’s hard to tell whether certain scenes are meant to be funny or dramatic. Nevertheless, like the characters themselves, the film itself comes to terms with its duelling personalities by the time the credits roll.
Despite its shortfalls, The Last Kiss manages to accomplish what a good movie should, it invites the viewer to engage in a little bit of contemplation, maybe even self-reflection. Perhaps it’s a bit messy in parts but hey, so is life. |
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